This text
was writen especially for au unique event into Inworldz, in
collaboration with the harp player Ilianor Illios, who composed
marvellous harp pieces and songs illustrating this story. There are
several
videos of her, that you can hear while reading this story...

MakTar and
Shelenaë are considered as the very first Elves, who started the
elven magic about ten thousands years ago, in an epoch that we could
call the Neolithic. It was millennia before writing was invented, and
this makes that the story itself is fuzzy, blurred into legends and
many apocryphal texts. However, the fact remains, that Elves have
magical powers, and these powers are faithfully transmitted since,
among a constant lineage of kind and beautiful beings. So here is the
account of the very early times, the most moving event of the
Nyidiath History, when this marvel happened in the first time, into a
pristine world...

In these
times, MakTar and Shelenaë were youngsters, in what we may call
a prehistoric tribe. They were ordinary Humans, just like everybody.
Today the exegetes of ancient texts agree that it was not their true
names, these names come from an elven language which appeared much
later, during the Bronze Age. But mystics who are still in contact
with them all agree to say that they like to be called this way. It
is said that Shelenaë means «hairs flowing down to the
hips and dancing around», while MakTar means «skilful
warrior».

So, MakTar
was a hunter, as no other way of living was known in these forgotten
times. He was also skilful at building tools from stone, bone or
wood. Shelenaë was learning plants, healing and weaving. They
had no religious system, but they believed into spirits of nature,
that they felt through dream, trance or contemplation. They guessed
and propitiated them with drumming, dancing or singing repetitive
patterns.

The tribe
was moving through a vast plain of forests strewn with swamps. They
did not liked this place, because it was dark, infested with biting
insects and inhabited with cruel people jealous of their lands. They
lost several of their members to marsh fevers, or to skirmishes with
swamps tribes.

Fortunately
they reached the Blue Mountains. This name is because they look blue
in the distance. It is an isolated granite massif, with large
outcrops of other minerals. This was a much more pleasant place, safe
from insects, and providing many plants and resources.

They were
not the first occupiers, thought. For this reason they had to settle
in the higher places, with cold winters and less animals to hunt. The
other tribes attacked them several times, without warning. So that
they had to be permanently ready for fight. MakTar soon proved to be
a very smart and strong warrior, who saved them several times.

Shelenaë
and MakTar married, and were happy together. But, for some reason,
they could never have children. In their culture, this made them
consider as shamans, or messengers of the spirits of nature.

The
message Shelenaë had to share was however somewhat
disconcerting: she did not liked hunting, and wanted this to stop.
She explained that animals are conscious beings too, wanting to live
and be happy, and suffering when killed, just like Humans. We guess
that she had some trouble to convince her tribe, who was still
heavily relying on hunting forays and traps for basic survival. No
other way of living was known, and edible berries were rare... MakTar
himself was puzzled, and wondering what the spirits were expecting
exactly. However the tribe dis not shunned them: they considered this
was a mystery. Just like there were many other mysteries in these
times...

So life
continued as usual, save that Shelenaë was, at times, doing
shamanic retirement in a lonely hut. After, she went alone in the
wild. But when she returned, she had bags full of edible plants that
they did not knew. So they followed her and picked the plants, after
tasting them cautiously, to check if they were not poisonous. This
allowed the tribe for a better food, especially in the winter.

This made
that she was considered more seriously. But her first master stroke
was to find out that the soapy chestnuts which abounded in the forest
were edible, once they were cooked. This allowed them to gather food
reserves for the long cold winters, and, for the first time, they
needed less hunting. This was a good deal, as it was going into the
direction indicated by Shelenaë. But hunting was also a cause of
war with the other tribes, to share limited resources for an
increasing population. Well, later they had to defend their
chestnuts...

From this,
Shelenaë became a kind of spiritual leader, while MakTar became
the chief of the tribe. They were respected and influential, so that
Shelenaë could more freely share her love of all living beings.
She could also share moving chants, which were very different from
the war drumming or hypnotic threnodies they used to perform. People
much loved these chants!

From her
wandering in the deep forest, she also brought flowers, and planted
them, first around her house, and after in the village. It was very
unusual and unexpected to see a prehistoric village ornate with
flower beds... But she also brought several kinds of edible roots,
sort of Jerusalem artichokes. They all wanted to eat them at once,
but she instead put them into the earth... three months later, the
quantity was doubled! So the whole tribe was truly amazed!

MakTar, on
his side, was inventing new wood tools for this primitive farming. He
was still a good warrior, but instead of boasting about his
victories, he was more and more sorry of killing...

MakTar and
Shelenaë went older than usual for hunters, from eating mostly
vegetable food. But inevitably they became old and started to grow
white hairs, while MakTar's arm became weaker. So, younger tribesmen
claimed their turn for power... The two elders stepped down of their
position, to avoid an useless fight among their own tribe. Once
relieved from leading the tribe, they consecrated more and more time
to shamanistic trances, often remaining weeks in the forest for this
purpose.

However,
one day, Shelenaë started to warn of an incoming very hard
winter... The weather was nice, the plants growing, there was no
apparent need to worry... However Shelenaë and MakTar spent the
summer gathering plants, and chestnuts as soon as they started
falling.

It was
wise, as this year was the Dark Winter, the Long Night, the dreadful
Tankaor, a strange and terrifying event, which nature and cause long
remained a total mystery.

It started
in the middle of autumn, with the weather still warm: for several
nights, the sky showed strange auroras.

Then, one
nice sunny afternoon, rumblings shook the blue sky, echoing other
tremors from deep within the Earth.

The next
night, the Dauriath, the Other World in the Sky, was dull red,
instead of black as usual. In these times, they did not knew what it
was, but this colour looked very wrong.

Then
things apparently returned to normal, with nice weather and all. But
Shelenaë was still hastily pushing everybody to gather the last
chestnuts... Her worried look impressed everybody, so that they
helped her.

Some days
later, a strange cloud appeared in the merry warm blue sky. In the
distance, it looked dark blue, instead of white. But while spreading
above them, it took a frightening total black colour. Appalled, they
saw it eating the sky, until it engulfed the sun... two hours later,
only the clear horizon was visible, and it was as dark as if they
were in a cave! Some were wailing with terror, while others just
looked, immobile, appalled...

For three
days, it was so dark that they could hardly guess the day from the
night. The fourth day, some light was visible again, but it was a
sinister greenish gloom, which lasted for three months, decreasing
slowly. And snow started to fall... much too soon! To their horror,
this snow was black, smelling the soot. And everything it touched was
sullied with black soot... all the landscape took an utterly sinister
look, as some phantom tale... Worse, the temperature dropped to deep
freezing cold, and, by lack of proper clothing and shoes, they had to
remain all this time snuggled into their huts, their whole bodies
sullied with soot. Even fetching firewood was challenging, and they
had to bring icicles instead of water.

Many of
them bitterly though that it was the end of the world. But Shelenaë
kept fast on saying that it was only temporary...

Things
returned to normal only little by little, all along the winter and
the following spring. The black clouds dissipated slowly, rain washed
the soot, a pale red sun warmed the land again, unfreezing the
waters. There was no summer, the trees bore little fruits, and
harvests were poor. The sky was still white, and it took three years
to recover its pure blue. They had to extensively search all the
mountains for food... before facing a second winter, normal, but with
not enough food reserves. They were all skinny, and the children did
not grew this year.

They found
that nobody survived in the other tribes, in the mountains or in the
plains. Only the warnings and preparation of Shelenaë had saved
them! Even animals had paid an heavy toll to the Dark Winter, and
many years were needed before deers ran again in the undergrowth.

So they
moved lower into the mountains, for easier cultivations, more water,
and warmer climate.

But MakTar
and Shelenaë refused to leave their lonely hut in the mountain.
They explained that silence made their meditation easier, and they
wanted to explore this new domain until where it would lead. And they
needed to be away from the hustle, into unspoiled nature.

The tribe
continued to lovingly bring them food and check for their well being.
They would do until their death... But many years passed, and they
were not dying! Quite on the contrary, they were looking younger and
younger! They were still gardening happily. MakTar's hair became jet
black again, while Shelenaë's became beige, instead of the
common jet black of the tribe. It went so far that, some day, when
they went to visit the tribe, new born children asked who were these
«young persons»!!!

Ancient
friends had now wrinkled faces, and the others were unknown, even the
new chiefs and shamans! However MakTar and Shelenaë's influence
was still here: the new village was well decorated, and surrounded
with small fields merging among trees. But above all, the children
were looking happy, smiling confidently to the unknown visitors...
This was much more a reward for them than all the nice welcoming
festivities!

But, much
more extraordinary than the Dark Winter, was that MakTar and Shelenaë
had developed enough magic to constantly regenerate their body!
MakTar had not yet recovered his former strength, but he was clearly
again a strong man enjoying all his faculties. At the age of 100...

This
puzzling new started paradoxical reactions. Some were admiring, but
others were jealous, so that Shelenaë needed a lot of diplomacy
to explain that they were here for sharing this marvel! Just that it
was not easy. But with guidance it would take less time...

This is
how MakTar and Shelenaë became the first Elves, from kindness in
their heart and wisdom in their mind, until their thought mastered
the physical world.

For
several centuries, they remained in the Blue Mountains, teaching and
guiding hundreds of people, who started teaching and guiding in their
turn. Two, then ten, then hundreds of tribe people became immortal in
their turn (or rather long lived, as the material world ends up
becoming boring, so that Elves leave it voluntarily). The only
prerequisites to receive the teaching were to have a sweet heart, and
to love beauty. But once the training complete, the disciples enjoyed
wonderful magical powers, and immortality. Starting from this moment,
they were called Elves.

In the
same time, the tribe grew to thousands, with many villages scattered
in the mountains, all nice and flowery with small fields between
trees patches. But MakTar asked for maintaining fight skills and
constant training. This showed useful, as, when Humans repopulated
the plain bellow, they immediately started to harass the Elves... So
MakTar gave them a clear choice: to become Elves in their turn, or to
remain in their lands. Choosing to attack would be paid at a high
cost.

The last
deed in the life of Maktar and Shelenae in this world, is called the
Transubstantiation: one day, they simply disappeared of this world,
and no corpses were found. They went directly to the spiritual
realms, changing the nature of their bodies without passing through
the process of death. This is how they became the god and goddess of
the Elves. But they left thousands of living Elves in this world, all
perfectly able of transmitting the magic in turn! Still today,
transubstantiations occur, but it is easier to stop the life
functions of the material bodies.

Seven
thousand years ago, the Blue Mountains became very unsafe, as the
Humans living in the plains under were constantly organizing stealth
raids. This made very dangerous to wander alone in the forest as the
Elves like to do. They could travel only by groups, and soon even
villages were attacked, and had to be fenced and defended. Worse,
these Humans had bronze weapons, while no metals were available in
the Blue Mountains... So the Elves, tired of being constantly on
their guards, abandoned the Blue Mountains to become wandering Elves
living on boats, of founding large kingdoms on available islands.

Fourteen
centuries ago, they went back to the Blue Mountains, their mother
land. They found the place desert. The Human farmers living around
told them that they were cursed with many abnormal births or
unexplained diseases. But this was not a problem for the Elves! The
Elves found hardly any traces of their prehistoric elven villages,
but in some places, the vibrations were still very strong. So, they
settled here again for some centuries, building the wonderful Anar
Shantar Marjun and other temples.

After the
treaties which fixed the deportation of the Elves in the Dauriath,
seven centuries ago, the Blue Mountains became a reservation, to be
left untouched. But they were again wild and lonely, longing for the
Elves. Just a small community grew around the Marjun, of Humans
wanting to become Elves. And they had to rely on human soldiers
guarding the Marjun from robbers.

Today,
modern human governments want to build power lines over the Blue
Mountains, or mine the abundant uranium ore. But none of this will
ever happen, as the Elves are watching, using subtle magical means to
ward off the destroyers from their mother lands. As, during their
exile, the Elves have grown in number and strength, well beyond the
expectation of the human kings who planned their deportation, without
envisioning what would happen of them in the far future. So the Elves
will soon lead this world for seven centuries, until everybody
discovers the infinite power of love and beauty.

Human
archaeologists exploring the Blue Mountains found remnants of
prehistoric villages, with the earliest known traces of farming.
There were also abundant carvings on rocks, dating from the Marjun
building period. But, until recently, scientists dismissed the story
of the Dark Winter as a legend, even if similar stories were known
all around the Nyidiath world. But a layer of sooty sediments was
visible on every continent, telling the reality of the event, if not
its nature. It was even visible on the Dauriath, as the atmospheres
of the two worlds communicate. This allowed to know exactly the date
of the life of MakTar and Shelenaë. Only recently, scientists
found that the Death Winter was caused by a string of meteorite
impacts, which set a whole forested continent ablaze. However it left
no large crater, and this greatly confused the researchers. This kind
of things is frequent, into a young solar system. But who could
imagine this into the prehistoric times?

THE END

Copyright…
yes this text is copyright 2012 Yichard Muni, my identity in Second
Life and Inworldz, or copyright 2012 Richard Trigaux, my identity in the physical world Life.

Scenario, graphics, sounds, colours, realization: Richard Trigaux.

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